Americans United - Steven Hewetthttps://au.org/tags/steven-hewett
enOn Memorial Day, Let’s Honor All Veterans Who Made The Ultimate Sacrificehttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/on-memorial-day-let-s-honor-all-veterans-who-made-the-ultimate-sacrifice
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>On Memorial Day, we remember the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation by laying down their lives to protect our freedoms.</p>
<p>One of those freedoms is the right to worship, or not, as you see fit. It’s ironic, therefore, that increasingly we are seeing examples of sectarian symbols, mainly crosses, being pressed into service as one-size-fits-all memorials for deceased veterans.</p>
<p>In San Diego, a 43-foot-tall cross atop Mt. Soledad on government land was the subject of litigation that spanned 25 years. Crosses had been erected repeatedly on the site since 1913 and were often used as backdrops for Easter sunrise services. No one attempted to label the Mt. Soledad cross a war memorial until it became the subject of litigation, and that designation was controversial. Many people pointed out that the cross, the central symbol of Christianity, didn’t include non-Christian veterans, whose sacrifice was no less worthy.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/Memorial%20Day%20flags.jpg" style="width: 800px; height: 534px;" /></p>
<p><em>Memorial Day is a time to remember all members of the Armed Forces who have died for our country. </em></p>
<p>AU filed several briefs in the case, including <a href="http://www.au.org/files/legal_docs/2014-12-22%20Mt.%20Soledad%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf.pdf">one on behalf of military historians</a>. This brief explained that the military has long recognized the cross as a uniquely Christian symbol and has not used it to memorialize non-Christian soldiers.</p>
<p>The matter <a href="http://www.au.org/church-state/september-2015-church-state/people-events/private-group-purchases-calif-cross-to-end">was settled in 2015</a> after the cross (and the land underneath it) was sold to a private group.</p>
<p>In 2004, officials in the city of King, N.C., decided to create a veterans’ memorial park on public land. The memorial included a Christian flag (a white field with a red cross inside a blue canton) and a statue of a soldier kneeling before a Latin cross. A local man, Steven Hewett, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and the recipient of the Bronze Star, pointed out that a display featuring Christian elements didn’t include all veterans. But officials in King refused to budge, so in November 2012, AU filed a lawsuit in federal court on Hewett’s behalf. About two years later, the case <a href="http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/settlement-agreement-reached-in-lawsuit-over-christian-themed-veterans-memorial">was settled out of court</a>. The city agreed to stop flying the Christian flag and to remove the statue.</p>
<p>Another pivotal case took place 10 years ago, when AU helped Roberta Stewart win the right to use the Pentacle, the symbol of Wicca, on her husband’s grave marker. Sgt. Patrick Stewart was killed in combat in Afghanistan in 2005, and his wife wanted to honor him with the symbol of his faith, but officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs argued that the Pentacle was not on its list of “approved” religious symbols. AU filed suit on Stewart’s behalf, and attorneys for the government quickly agreed to settle the case. The Pentacle was added to the approved list as part of an <a href="http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/bush-administration-agrees-to-approve-wiccan-pentacle-for-veteran-memorials">out-of-court settlement</a>.</p>
<p>In recent years, AU has been involved in challenges to sectarian war memorials in <a href="http://www.au.org/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/mo-war-memorial-removes-christian-symbol">Boone County, Mo</a>., <a href="http://www.au.org/church-state/december-2015-church-state/people-events/iowa-town-officials-vote-to-remove-cross-from">Knoxville, Iowa</a>, and other communities. Critics have accused us of dishonoring veterans. The opposite is true: We’re trying to ensure that the service of <em>all</em> veterans is honored. (See more about this issue <a href="http://www.au.org/church-state/february-2014-church-state/featured/the-battle-over-the-memorials">here</a>.)</p>
<p>Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Humanists, Wiccans, non-believers and others have laid down their lives to defend this country. On Memorial Day – and every day – let’s strive to ensure that all are remembered and honored.</p>
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</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/memorial-day">Memorial Day</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/king">King</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/north-carolina">north carolina</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/steven-hewett">Steven Hewett</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/mount-soledad">Mount Soledad</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/roberta-stewart">Roberta Stewart</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/sgt-patrick-stewart">Sgt. Patrick Stewart</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/wicca">Wicca</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pentacle">Pentacle</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/crosses">crosses</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/military">Military</a></span></div></div>Mon, 29 May 2017 12:38:50 +0000Rob Boston12968 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/on-memorial-day-let-s-honor-all-veterans-who-made-the-ultimate-sacrifice#commentsMonumental Mistake: Calif. City’s Memorial Doesn’t Honor All Veteranshttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/monumental-mistake-calif-city-s-memorial-doesn-t-honor-all-veterans
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">A veterans&#039; memorial that highlights the religious symbols of one faith – or even two – not only violates the Constitution, it fails to achieve its intended purpose of honoring all of our fallen warriors.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The municipal leaders of Lake Elsinore, Calif., decided they wanted to honor local veterans with a special monument in front of a local baseball stadium.</p><p>No problem there. The southern California city of about 51,000 people has produced its share of veterans, and giving them special recognition is a nice idea.</p><p>Unfortunately, the way the city chose to go about it was not so good. The original design was for a black granite marker depicting a soldier kneeling in front of a cross.</p><p>What’s wrong with this picture? Mainly, not all of Lake Elsinore’s veterans have been Christians. A memorial featuring a large Christian symbol sends the message that the sacrifice of non-Christian veterans is somehow less worthy.</p><p>To rectify matters, the city later modified the monument to add a much smaller Star of David. But the cross still dominates (and, in fact, more were added), and the message sent is clearly of a religious nature.</p><p>A federal court agrees. U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson <a href="http://blog.pe.com/2013/07/17/lake-elsinore-federal-judge-rules-against-citys-veterans-monument/">ruled the monument unconstitutional</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/h4fvhjdfho6i9y1/154363342-AHA-v-Lake-Elsinore-Injunction-Order.pdf">Observed Wilson</a>, “The Latin crosses and Star of David are immediately noticeable to even the most casual passer-by; they appear on the front of Monument 2, and, in contrast to the concededly non-sectarian images that appear on the front of Monument 2 -- the text, the American flag, and the bald eagle – the sectarian symbols are illuminated in white.”</p><p>The legal challenge was brought by the American Humanist Association (AHA) on behalf of local residents. The AHA is urging city officials to accept the ruling and design a monument that represents all of Lake Elsinore’s veterans, but Kevin Snider of Pacific Justice Institute, a California-based Religious Right legal group that represented the city, seems interested in an appeal.</p><p>“We’re going to review his opinion to determine what his reasoning is and then we will look at our options as to whether or not we want to proceed in the lower court or immediately take it up on appeal,” Snider said.</p><p>This ruling is of special interest to Americans United because we have a similar case pending in a federal court in North Carolina. AU is representing Steven Hewett, a decorated veteran of the war in Afghanistan, <a href="https://www.au.org/media/press-releases/decorated-afghanistan-war-veteran-sues-north-carolina-town-over-sectarian">who is challenging</a> a veterans’ memorial in the city of King. King’s display also depicts a soldier kneeling before a cross. A Christian flag flies at the site almost every week as well, and city officials have been holding Christian prayer events at the site.</p><p>Since the founding of our nation, countless brave men and women have given their lives to defend our liberties. Some were Christians, but some were Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Wiccans and so on. Some had no particular faith.</p><p>A monument that highlights the religious symbols of one faith – or even two – not only violates the Constitution, it fails to achieve its intended purpose of honoring all of our fallen warriors.</p><p>City officials in Lake Elsinore need to go back the drawing board. Local leaders in King, N.C., might want to as well.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/lake-elsinore">Lake Elsinore</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/california">California</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/king">King</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/north-carolina">north carolina</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/steven-hewett">Steven Hewett</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pacific-justice-institute">Pacific Justice Institute</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kevin-snider">Kevin Snider</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/american-humanist-association">American Humanist Association</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/stephen-v-wilson">Stephen V. Wilson</a></span></div></div>Thu, 18 Jul 2013 15:40:32 +0000Rob Boston8774 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/monumental-mistake-calif-city-s-memorial-doesn-t-honor-all-veterans#commentsSaluting Diversity: Remember Religious Pluralism In The Armed Forces On Veterans Day https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/saluting-diversity-remember-religious-pluralism-in-the-armed-forces-on
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">When soldiers take up arms on behalf of the United States, they don’t just fight for some people – they fight for everyone.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Today, Veterans Day is being observed. We should take this opportunity to remember that the U.S. Armed Forces are made up of a highly diverse group of people – and that includes a wide range of religions.</p><p>Unfortunately it is necessary to remind people of this because Americans sometimes fail to recognize the many faiths (or lack thereof) among our military ranks. </p><p>Take the case of Sgt. Patrick Stewart, a Wiccan who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005. The federal government refused to allow his government-issued memorial to be marked by a Wiccan pentacle, which eventually led to a lawsuit by Americans United on behalf of Stewart’s widow and several others.</p><p>Americans United charged that denying a pentacle to deceased Wiccan service personnel, while granting religious symbols to those of other traditions, violated the U.S. Constitution. AU’s attorneys uncovered evidence that the Veterans Administration’s refusal to recognize the Pentacle was motivated by bias toward the Wiccan faith, and eventually <a href="http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/bush-administration-agrees-to-approve-wiccan-pentacle-for-veteran-memorials">the George W. Bush administration acknowledged in 2007 that Wiccans are entitled to have the pentacle inscribed</a> on government-issued memorial markers for deceased veterans.</p><p>But Stewart’s case was far from the only example of religious bias toward veterans by government.</p><p>Americans United recently filed suit against the city of King, N.C., <a href="http://blog.au.org/media/press-releases/decorated-afghanistan-war-veteran-sues-north-carolina-town-over-sectarian">which is accused of exploiting the memory of U.S. soldiers in order to promote Christianity at a veterans’ memorial</a>. AU represents Steven Hewett, a resident of King who won the Combat Action Badge and Bronze Star during his service with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. Hewett complained because the city is displaying a Christian flag and a statue of a soldier kneeling before a cross at the memorial, which stands in King’s central park.</p><p>After an initial complaint from Americans United, the city council voted in September 2010 to temporarily remove the Christian flag. In November 2010, however, the city created a “limited public forum” in which a flagpole at the veterans’ memorial was reserved for a certain pre-approved flags. The city conducted a lottery and selected 52 flag applications, one for each week of the year.</p><p>The result of the lottery was that the Christian flag flew at the memorial for 47 weeks in 2011 and will have flown for 47 weeks by the end of 2012. AU attorneys have called this forum a sham.</p><p>In a statement, Hewett said: “I proudly served alongside a diverse group of soldiers with a variety of different religious beliefs. The City of King should be honoring everyone who served our country, not using their service as an excuse to promote a single religion.”</p><p>Let’s heed Mr. Hewett’s words and remember to acknowledge all the brave veterans who died for our freedom, not just those who happen to subscribe to one particular faith.</p><p>After all, when soldiers take up arms on behalf of the United States, they don’t just fight for some people – they fight for everyone.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Institutional Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (Including Immigration, Military, Prisons &amp; Healthcare)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/bush-administration">Bush Administration</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/steven-hewett">Steven Hewett</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/sgt-patrick-stewart">Sgt. Patrick Stewart</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/veterans-day">Veterans Day</a></span></div></div>Mon, 12 Nov 2012 19:04:11 +0000Simon Brown7717 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/saluting-diversity-remember-religious-pluralism-in-the-armed-forces-on#commentsDivisive Game: North Carolina Town Residents Play Capture The Flaghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/divisive-game-north-carolina-town-residents-play-capture-the-flag
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The city of King, N.C., has become an object lesson in why we need separation of church and state. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Some of you might recall a bit of a <a href="http://blog.au.org/2010/09/22/flag-furor-north-carolina-town-battles-over-christian-banner/">fuss</a> that erupted in the town of King, N.C., last year over the flying of a Christian flag in a public park that serves as a veterans’ memorial.</p>
<p>When Americans United protested on behalf of a local veteran, city officials at first agreed (reluctantly) that to remove the Christian symbol. AU and the vet argued that a sectarian symbol like the cross does not represent all war dead.</p>
<p>The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) intervened and convinced city officials to draw up a new policy that declared a certain flagpole in the park a public forum. Town residents would be allowed to enter a lottery drawing, and, if they won, fly the flag of their choice for a week (as long as the flag contains a symbol recognized by the U.S. military for memorials).</p>
<p>Local officials and their pals in the ADF knew that most people in town would want to fly the Christian flag. Thus, the entire scheme was little more than a ruse to keep the religious symbol flying.</p>
<p>In fact, a local minister admitted as much. On a Facebook page he wrote, “The idea is for Christians to fill up the reservation list and tie up the pole for years to come. This will ensure that the Christian Flag keeps flying. Calvary [Baptist Church] will buy several Christian Flags for people to use so that everyone doesn’t have to buy their own flag. We’ll even put it up for you!”</p>
<p>But a funny thing happened: Some people who won the lottery decided they don’t want to fly any flag at all. The <em>Winston-Salem Journal</em> <a href="http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2011/jun/27/2/christian-flag-comes-down-for-a-week-in-king-park-ar-1158310/">reported that this week </a>Steven Hewett won the lottery and requested no flag. The Christian flag was removed yesterday.</p>
<p>Hewett told the newspaper that by flying no flag, he is honoring the service of all veterans, including his brother Paul, who served with the Army in Afghanistan.</p>
<p>“We serve under one flag, the U.S. flag,” Hewett said. (The memorial already contains a U.S. flag.)</p>
<p>Earlier this month, another King resident, Cynthia Becker, also chose to fly no flag. Becker said she was honoring her father, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1959 to 1962.</p>
<p>Naturally, some people in town aren’t happy about this. Some people have brought portable Christian flags to the site. One resident, Stephen James, is even threatening court action. James claims the city’s policy requires lottery winners to fly some type of flag.</p>
<p>Watching this unfold, I can’t help but think that the city of King has become an object lesson in why we need separation of church and state. The idea behind the public park was to honor people who had served our nation in the armed forces. Does anyone even remember that in King? Most people in town seem more interested in using the flagpole to put forth the erroneous idea that America is an officially Christian nation.</p>
<p>All of this community discord could have been prevented if the town has simply stuck to a secular war memorial that honors all dead service personnel. Residents who wanted religious symbolism would be free to incorporate that into a grave marker of some other private memorial.</p>
<p>Men and women from many faiths and none have given their lives to protect this nation and its core values – one of which is religious liberty for everyone. We should honor them all. The types of antics under way in King don’t even begin to do that.</p>
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</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/christian-flag">Christian Flag</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/north-carolina">north carolina</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/steven-hewett">Steven Hewett</a></span></div></div>Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:16:10 +0000Rob Boston2207 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/divisive-game-north-carolina-town-residents-play-capture-the-flag#comments